1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to infant care devices and more specifically to infant teethers.
2. Description of Prior Art
Teething is the eruption through the gums of baby teeth. Devices for soothing and quieting infants during the teething process are well known. Teethers, objects or devices for an infant to bite on during teething, in particular, have been commonly used for many years to soothe discomfort resulting from infant teething. Typical teethers consist of a rubber exterior, which may contain a freezable liquid that is refrigerated before use in order to numb an infant's gums and relieve teething pain.
It is an objective of this invention to provide a new and improved multi-textured teether, where a portion of the teether is comprised of a rounded and curved, hard, smooth, hollow, metal exterior with a freezable liquid or gel center that will remain cold for an extended period of time following removal from refrigeration and/or after freezing and a portion of the teether is comprised of a handle that is comprised of either metal covered by rubber or plastic or solely of rubber or plastic to prevent the teether from becoming too cold to hold. There is a need for a multi-textured teether that accommodates an infant's desire for a cold, hard, rounded and curved, smooth surface that, due to these contours and features, is able to reach the otherwise inaccessible areas of an infant's mouth and that will provide some relief from discomfort, hasten the eruption of the teeth from the gums, while providing the infant with a handle that does not become too cold to hold and which will also capture an infant's interest, thereby encouraging the continued use and manipulation of the teether in order to provide a distraction from the general discomfort associated with the teething process.